The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Safety Trend Evaluation, Analysis & Data Exchange System (STEADES), was developed from the pioneering process of large scale safety information exchange (SIE) that was developed by British Airways for users of its BASIS Safety Data System. When British Airways decided to withdraw from the provision of this system as a commercial product for other users, IATA took the SIE component on and developed the STEADES project. STEADES is currently claimed to hold the world's largest database of de-identified air safety reports and for a fee provides subscribing members with access to analysis based on this data. The analyses can include trend reports that can be used to develop prevention strategies for a wide range of areas within the air transport industry including airline management, ground handling, air traffic control, maintenance organisations, regulatory bodies. However the database does not represent a stratified random sample and the reports contained in it do not necessarily include the results of investigations into cause and so all analysis output must be used with caution.

Data Access

The STEADES Query Tool allows subscribers to interact directly with the database and extract structured data and analysis as required. In this way, it aims to support:

• Benchmarking against wider industry performance;
• Identification of operational safety issues at particular airports;
• The determination of whether particular safety concerns are shared by others.

Subscribers also receive a quarterly report on global safety trends identified from the data which analyses key safety issues with commentaries from aviation industry specialists.

Further Reading

For further information refer to the IATA STEADES website.